How to Make a Paper Mache Container Part 1

This is one of my favorite paper mache products. I like it because it’s simple and it can make a container that can be used for almost anything and it also is very sculptural in nature, very abstract. They’re fun to decorate and they’re fun to design because how ever you bend the paper that’s how it dries, exactly how you left it.

So all you really need for this project is some sheet of paper. I’m going to use wallpaper paste for this project and some kind of string or yarn because we’re going to be tying the pieces of paper onto the litter of bottle that you’re going to need.

So, when I go ahead and start, if for some reason you didn’t have, I just have some newsprint paper, you could actually use newspaper. After it’s dry, you would probably want to spray paint it white so you cover up all the print and then you could go ahead and decorate it how ever you want it to. But the newsprint would definitely be, it would show through some kind of paint.

So I’ve got wallpaper paste here; this is a messy one but it’s over quickly. What you’re going to do is you’re going to cover this entire piece of paper with wallpaper paste. I’ve also done this with liquid starch and media mixer which is like a gel that can be used to create finger paints if you take gel, the media mixer and you put some old powder tempera paints in there that may be you’ve had for a long time and you mix some in there, you can make great finger paint. And it’s also great for paper mache projects.

So you have to be really careful that you get the edges because if the edges aren’t all stack together then the project looks like it’s sheets of paper and not like a solid container. And once that I’ve finished this one then you lay the next sheet directly on top of it. And go back and make certain that you have all your edges because you really want this to form one thick sandwich so to speak of on paper mache.

Now if you don’t like using your hands, you could use one of these sponges like you can pick this up real and expensively at a hardware store. So you’ll notice that I’m going back and I wan to make absolutely certain that all my edges or corners are totally covered with wallpaper paste.

Now I’m going to take the next sheet of paper and you want to line this up as close as you can. And I start from the center and work my way out towards the edges so that if there’s any air pockets in there, you’re going to push them out the sides. Now we’re going to do the same thing again. We’re just going to coat this totally edges too. Don’t stamp on your paste.

Okay, this third one, we’ve got one more to do, we do a total of four and it’s the same process again. Here’s the last one and then you get to, well you don’t get to wash your hands yet. I still got more work to do.

Now we’ll cover this, whole side and then when that’s covered, if it flipped, we have to lift up the whole sandwich and flip it over and then do the under side. You’ll notice once again, I’m really double checking on those edges.

Now I’m going to take this and flip it over. And don’t forget to do the edges.